Take Your Time
by allmylovesallmysecrets
Summary: In which Felicity gets to know both sides of Oliver Queen.


**Hey! So I wanted to try something new and that happens to be Olicity. It's my first run with them so be gentle and I hope you like it :)**

* * *

"Mr. Queen?" Felicity pokes her head into his office, bag slung over her shoulder. "If you don't need anything else I was going to call it a night."

He looks up from the papers he was currently reading, his eyes bloodshot and lips slightly parted. She notices his tie is undone and his hair is in a disheveled state from his hand constantly running through it. Today had been a long day, one filled with back to back meetings, nonstop approvals and hundreds of papers to sign. He hadn't had a lunch break and she didn't think he drank anything all day. An hour before she decided to head out she placed a bottle of water and a sandwich from the local deli on his desk when he was in a meeting. She was glad to see it was gone.

"Of course," he nods and stands up. "And remember, it's Oliver." When she nods, mumbling a response under her breath, he continues. "You were remarkable today by the way. I couldn't have done it without you."

She steps into his office, a sheepish smile creeping up her lips. "It's my job." She shrugs her shoulders and grips the strap of her bag tighter.

"Do you need an escort down? It's later than when you normally leave."

"I think I'll be okay. I parked closer this time since I was in a rush this morning. When you wake up with only an hour before you have to leave, that sends panic. Maybe not for you because honestly it probably takes you less than ten minutes to get ready, which I'm insanely jealous about. God I could accomplish so much if I wasn't waking up at the crack of dawn each morning. And I'm rambling." She takes a deep breath and gazes up into his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'll just see you tomorrow."

Her cheeks are burning as she nearly bolts out of the office. The clicking of her heels echoes in the empty hallway and she pushes the elevator button furiously. Why does she always do that? Making an absolute fool of herself was definitely a **'**no**'** at work**,** especially in front of her boss.

She's only been with Mr. Queen (_Oliver,_ but does it really matter?) for a few months now but somehow it feels longer than that. They work well together even though originally she wasn't supposed to be an EA at all. She thought the position she accepted was a spot in one of the best IT departments in the whole city. Instead she was given an office on the top floor and a job fetching coffee for a playboy billionaire. She was bitter to say the least at first. Remarking on every comment he made and refusing the idea of getting him any kind of latte from the cafedown the street.

"I'm here to work." She had said on her first day. "I am a professional, not a _slave_."

So maybe that was the wrong word to say but it did the trick. After that it was nothing but pure respect on his part and they fell in sync with each other. A rhythm picked up between them (in an entirely _platonic _way) and she never thought she could work so well with someone else. Sure, he was kind of spacey and rarely ever showed up to work but when he did he knew how to get stuff done. He kept to himself most of the time and on occasion got her coffee in the morning. Oliver made being an assistant not seem completely degrading.

And it didn't hurt that he was absolutely gorgeous. Those blue eyes made her melt and the more than builtbody under that perfectly tailored suit of his made her swoon. She loved the scruff he kept on his face and the way his lips twitched whenever she found herself rambling in front of him. He was reserved and completely unlike what the press described him as. She knew about the island before signing up for the job but she figured she'd never have to see him. There was damage done and it's more evident on some days. She never mentions it and tries to ignore it as best as possible, but it's hard when the brokenness in his eyes show through during a hard day.

Like today.

She makes it to her car without much hassle and wants to roll her eyes to Oliver's suggestion of an escort. Does he really think she's so incapable of handling herself? She just bought a brand new bottle of pepper spray last week and it wasn't the cheap kind like last time. It was extra strong and promised the worst burn possible. She only did it because muggings have become more frequent and attacks definitely weren't out of the norm where she lived. The Glades wasn't exactly city of the year in safety.

As she pulls out of the parking lot she thought how odd that was. All over the news they've been reporting of an unknown vigilante. One who wears a mask dressed in green with arrows on his back, like some sort of Robin Hood. The whole stealing from the rich and giving to the poor was his forte. Although instead of stealing he was killing and instead of giving he was just taking away from the corrupt. Crime rates were being reported as going down and yet every morning she would flip on the local news to see another mugging or rape happen on the streets. Frankly, it was all a load of bullshit to Felicity. She didn't believe this guy for a second. Although she wouldn't go against him. Violence wasn't really her thing…

"Dammit." She mutters to herself, making a quick left by a convenience store. She pulls over and rushes out, purse in hand as she comes onto the sidewalk.

She is out of mint chip and if she is going to be catching up on some paper work, she needs something to get her through.

But she never makes it to the store.

It's in a matter of seconds that her purse is snatched from her shoulder and she's shoved to the ground. Felicity thinks how cliché it all is. A petite little blonde who only wanted some ice cream gets robbed not even ten feet from her car. People would roll their eyes reading about this in the paper the next morning before flipping the page to the sports section.

But Felicity Smoak never went down without a fight.

Quickly, she twists her body and grabs her swinging bag the man was running away with. She doesn't know how she took hold of it so swiftly but before she knew it he's down on the ground next to her. Though her victory is short lived as the man rolls back on top of her, his hands coming around her neck and she begins to struggle.

But as soon as his hands make contact with her skin, she feels the weight of his body suddenly lift from her. She hears a strangled noise, a few grunts and then a hard crunch as something connects with the cement beneath her. Slowly, she peels each of her eyes open and is faced with...nothing.

Her attacker is lying next to her, blood dripping from his nose and his eyes are closed. For a second, her breath hitches as her mind jumps to the worst possible conclusion. But then she felt the warmth of his breath as it blew out from his parted lips and relief washes over her.

With all the strength she can muster, Felicity pushes herself up from the ground and back onto her feet. And that's when she sees him.

He's standing a few feet away, bow still in hand as he straightens his back. She heard about him on the news and listened on during the countless debates about whether he was good or evil during lunch. She never cared too much about him, just thought he was someone with too big of an ego who was trying to prove something. But to see him right in front of her, hood, bow and all, was something else. She thought he only went after the sharks of Starling City, not defenseless blondes outside of convenience stores.

She opens her mouth to say something, anything, because standing here isn't doing anything for her. But the silence continues between them as her eyes scan him head to toe. The tip of the hood covers his eyes and she can only faintly see the curve of his lips as he steps towards her. There's a hint of stubble crawling up from his chin to the middle of his cheeks; the classic five o'clock shadow. She's too busy studying him that it takes her off guard when he speaks.

"Are you alright?"

The voice is changed by a modulator and she wants to roll her eyes at it. She notices though that he's getting closer to her, each step shortening the distance between them. So she takes a step back, arms winding around her waist. Sure, he just saved her and Felicity couldn't be more grateful, but the Hood is a killer, he takes lives away like he's God and because of what? No one knew his reasoning accept that he was exposing the supposed "bad" of the city. She agrees that there are some pretty vile people crawling around in Starling but what gives him the right to take care of them?

The Hood notices her retreat and immediately puts his bow away, drawing his hands up.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

For the first time in what feels like forever Felicity is rendered speechless. Her mouth opens and closes in the same beat.

He takes a step away from her and she's grateful. Her heart is beating outside her chest and she can feel her hands shaking beside her.

_Just leave, _she thinks, _I'm fine, just go._

When he begins to retreat she wonders if she actually said that out loud instead. But it's too late to dwell on it any longer because as she looks up from her feet he's already gone.

* * *

The next day she runs completely late.

Her alarm decided not to go off.

The water from the shower was cold.

The coffee maker crashed.

And she forgot to pick up her clothes from the dry cleaners.

The day was definitely not going as planned.

Felicity doesn't check her phone until she's barreling into the elevator, pushing the button for the top floor repeatedly as if that would make it go faster. Her foot taps against the floor anxiously as she holds up the black screen of her phone to her face. There's a swell of purple under her left eye, blue and yellow swirling in the middle of it. When the man knocked her down last night, she hit the pavement pretty hard. Hard enough, she supposes, to give her something nasty like this. No amount of concealer was able to help her out.

She then notices all the missed calls from Oliver. It is already pushing past ten o'clock and she can only imagine what is going through his mind. When the elevator doors open she instantly bolts out.

"Miss Smoak."

She smashes into the hard chest in front of her, her glasses sliding down her nose as the bag on her shoulder drops. The day hasn't even started and she already feels like screaming.

"Mr. Diggle." Felicity says as she crouches down to retrieve her bag. Mr. Diggle is Oliver's bodyguard and stops by every day during this time. He's usually downstairs in security but because of Oliver's track record for disappearing, he has to check up on him from time to time.

"I told you to call me John," he says first before adding, "But I was actually going to look for you. Oliver said you weren't picking up your phone." He smiles down softly at her and she can feel his eyes linger on her cheek. "Everything okay?"

Frantically, she nods her head, collecting all of her things in her arms. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. It's just my alarm never went off this morning and I forgot my clothes and my shower was cold and I didn't have any coffee yet and I'm tired." He's still looking at her face so she continues. "And that's nothing. I know you're looking at it because I was looking at it all morning. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't cover it up. But I'm fine. I just fell...off my bed...onto the floor." She winces because it couldn't have sounded more like a lie. Though to her surprise, Mr. Diggle doesn't comment on it.

"I'll just take you to Oliver. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you." There's something about the way he says it that makes her look up at him. But his hand is already guiding her forward so she says nothing.

Oliver is in her office, pacing back and forth with his arms folded across his chest. The worry lines on his forehead are evident and his lips look pursed as she makes her way to the door. She's almost certain he's about to fire her and can feel the coming explosion that's surely brewing inside of him. Instead when he notices her he smiles, softly and not fully.

(She's sure it doesn't reach his eyes.)

"Felicity," he breathes and strides over to meet her halfway.

"I'm so sorry, Oliver. This morning has just been-"

"I don't care that you're late."

She's already pushing past him, letting all her things fall onto the desk. "But it's almost ten-thirty."

"You get here too early anyway." He shrugs, his smile slowly fading.

Felicity studies him closely for a second, taking in his unusually unkempt appearance. It doesn't look like he's gotten any sleep from last night and his clothes are rumpled with the buttons on the top of his collar undone. For a moment she finds herself stepping closer to him with the need of fixing whatever has wrecked his mind**, **but she stops herself and clears her throat, somehow breaking him out of the same reverie that she was stuck in.

"Well someone has to."

He nods, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I'm just glad you're alright."

"I am, I'm fine." She knows her voice isn't as convincing as she wants it to be. To her surprise though Oliver let's it go. His eyes linger on her briefly before he nods and leaves her office only to go to his own.

But something changes between them in that moment that leaves her mind in a whirl for the rest of the day.

* * *

It's been nearly three months after the Hood incident and she barely remembers that night anymore. The dreams and nightmares have faded and her hands no longer shake as she walks out to the car. It's like it never happened.

But the thing is that it did.

Sightings of the vigilante have decreased since the incident and she can no longer keep track of him. It's like he disappeared.

Felicity doesn't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing and frankly she doesn't want to worry about it anymore. He saved her once and she didn't even say two words to him. And now he's gone.

Maybe, though, it's best for everyone.

Felicity shakes her head as she turns back to her computer. She crosses her legs and bobs a foot up and down as she scrolls through the day's agenda. It's seems pretty slow which means today's a perfect day to actually get some work done. With barely any meetings she can actually sit back and get some paperwork done. It's just a bunch of papersneeding signatures from Oliver and approvals from herself. They've been piling up on her desk for weeks now and today seems like the day to put a much needed dent in them.

She looks up and into Oliver's office, ready to flag him over, to see that he's already looking her way. She's caught him several times over the past few months, staring at her. For awhile he's looked away immediately but for the past month she realizes he no longer does. Their recent all nighters in the office and repeated coffee chats early in the morning have brought them closer in a way that's still unclear to Felicity.

It all started with that morning where she ran late. The look on his face is something that's still burned into her mind. The relief that shone in his eyes, as if he knew somehow the night she had. Perhaps it was written all over her face-

Well, quite literally, it was. But that's not her _point_.

Her point is that this isn't how it was before and she's not sure how she feels about it.

Or what to do.

Yeah, she has no idea what to do.

So she holds his gaze before smiling and waving him over. He's out of his seat before she can blink and is striding over with more than a purpose.

"Hey, I was wondering if you could-"

"I actually wanted to-"

They speak at the same time and stop at the same time, laughing nervously.

Felicity feels the flush of her cheeks as she gathers the papers for him. "I need you to sign these today when you have time. They're due by the end of the week but I just wanted them in early."

Oliver falters for a second before nodding, his eyes taking in the stack next to her. "Yeah, no problem."

He looks like he's about to say more and she holds her breath, bracing herself for what she knows is about to come next.

Instead he stops abruptly, swallowing hard before nodding his head towards her. She's surprised by how disappointed she feels and can feel the embarrassment fill her stomach. She actually thought-

"I'll get these to you within the hour, thanks."

Felicity blinks up at him, lost in thought before nodding her head. She spins her chair around so she faces her computer, silently dismissing him. Her eyes close tightly as the sound of his retreating footsteps fill the room.

For the rest of the day there aren't any gazes or touches, just distance.

* * *

It's pushing past seven when John (not Mr. Diggle) comes into her office. The usual smile that he greets her with is nothing but a curt nod and she notices his stance is stiffer than normal. Over the past few months it's become ritual for him to escort her from the office. At first it bothered her, annoyed her even, to see that both of them didn't think her capable enough to get herself from here to her car.

Oliver had tried to reason with her that with the growing crime rate, it wasn't safe for anybody to be walking alone at night. Still, she argued with him. It was only when John stepped in, his reasoning snapping the both of them back into reality. He gently told her that they cared about her, that each time she left they worried. She knew most of it was bullshit but at the time it was almost ten o'clock and she could barely keep her eyes open. She had a long day and the last thing she wanted to do was argue.

After the first few weeks Felicity found that it wasn't so bad and that she was (not that she'd ever tell them this) grateful. It was just a small peace of mind for her, one thing she didn't need to worry about. And through the short amount of time she spent with John, they grew rather close. She learned a lot about his life, the family he has and even his relationship with Oliver, which she knows isn't always perfect.

Felicity can see it in John's eyes as he waits for her to gather her things. There's a tick in his jaw as his eyes flicker over to Oliver's office and his fingers curl around his crossed arms. She tries some small talk with him, asking about the weather and how Lyla and the baby were. But it seems as though he doesn't hear her, his eyes still trained on Oliver.

"John," she says, snapping her fingers towards him. "_John_."

He turns towards her instantly, eyes alert as if some sort of danger was going to come crashing through the window. She raises an eyebrow at him as she grabs her bag from off the ground.

"Are you ready?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry."

Felicity glances over at Oliver's office now, readying herself to give him an awkward wave goodbye. But she finds the room empty. She could have sworn he was there a minute ago….

John seems to notice her search but says nothing as he motions to the door. It's not until they're entering the elevator that he speaks.

"Don't take what he does personally. In my opinion, he's a complete idiot."

Felicity rolls her eyes, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Mmhmm," John mutters. "Just keep telling yourself that."

"I'm serious." She says, turning to look back at him. "And don't look at him like that. It seems like you two are always disagreeing about something." She leans down and presses the button for the lobby.

"We're not in a disagreement."

"Seems like it," she mumbles.

John shakes his head. "Oliver just has a lot on his mind and I offered some solutions to those but he just wouldn't have it."

The elevator door opens and Felicity starts forward. "Well I'm not a genius or anything but that kind of sounds like a disagreement to me."

"If you're not a genius then what does that make me?"

Felicity rolls her eyes, a smile playing at her lips. "Nobodyis a genius, John, despite what some people may think."

"Right you are."

"I still think you should go easier on him. Let him do what he wants and sooner or later he'll take you up on whatever your advice is. But for now maybe it's best to leave it be."

"Is that how you solve all your problems with him?"

They enter the parking lot and Felicity fishes in her bag for her keys. She starts pointing them in different directions as she presses the unlock button for her car. Seconds later the lights are shining bright, illuminating the garage almost entirely.

"Mostly," she says as she opens up the passenger side door. "But Oliver never listens to me anyway."

"More like you never listen to Oliver."

Felicity closes the door and crosses her arms over her chest. "I'm not seventeen anymore, John. No one can tell me what to do."

"That's why I like you, Smoak." He smiles and looks around the garage. "Drive safe, okay?"

"Always."

He stays in the garage, watching until she pulls out onto the street. As he walks back to the building he hears the distant roar of an engine behind him. Rolling his eyes, he sees the motorcycle pull out and not so subtly follow her car.

"Idiots," he mutters.

* * *

There's no parking; figures. She searches for only an extra five minutes before giving up and driving all the way down the street. It doesn't bother her too much but with the crack of thunder sounding above her and the lightning flashing in the distance, she begins to worry.

Quickly, she shoves her tablet and phone into her bag and pulls her jacket closer against herself. The wind picks up suddenly and she falters slightly as she begins to walk. The sound of her heels against the cement is all that can be heard and she almost shudders at the eeriness of it all. Everything seems almost too still...too quiet.

She nearly jumps out of her skin when she hears the first scream.

It comes from the alley in between two buildings, her apartment not too far down the line. Her first instinct is to run, God only knows what's going on. But as the second scream rings in her ears Felicity can't help but run into the alley, digging into her bag to fetch her phone for light.

Then everything comes crashing down.

A girl is crouched down on the pavement, back against the brick wall as she breathes heavily. Her clothes look torn and there was blood dripping on the side of her face. Felicity sees her wild eyes, the tears bubbling up in them as she looks around, but her attention is only on the girl for all of three seconds.

A man is shouting, his gun pointing from the girl to the Hood whose back was to Felicity. She definitely just walked in on something and she isn't sure if she is going to be able to get out of it.

When the man spots her at the end he begins laughing, shaking his head before pointing the gun over the Hood's shoulders. Felicity gulps and felt her face pale as the Hood draws his bow and pointed it straight at her. Realization seems to cross his face as he sees her but he doesn't lower the bow.

"Someone always comes at a cry for help." The man says, his gun going back to the girl. "If only they knew it was just too late."

"You don't want to do this!" The Hood shouts, immediately spinning around to where his attention was needed. "Please, just put the gun down."

The man's focus is solely on the girl, the gun shaking in his hand. "Why'd you have to do it? I loved you...I loved you so much."

The girl is sobbing uncontrollably, shaking her head back and forth as she sputters out a reply. Felicity can only imagine it to be some sort of an apology, anything to make the man stop.

But as he said before, it was just too late.

"I'm sorry." He whispers before its all over.

The gunshot fires and all Felicity can see is the girl going limp, the blood splattering against the brick. There's so much blood, as if the human body is an overflowing ocean. It shimmers against the moonlight and glistens from the light of the street lamps. She never knew how red it could be, how beautiful and disturbing it all was.

And then she is running, bolting down the sidewalk as if her life depends on it. She supposes it does in some way as she certainly doesn't want to stick around for what will happen next. She could only imagine what the Hood would do next and winces at the thought of an arrow in that man.

She's seen enough death for one night.

So she runs, wanting to leave it all behind her; as if it never happened.

Because women don't get murdered in alleys just steps from her apartment.

Crime happens in the Glades or in another state. You wake up in the morning, flick on your TV and watch a perky blonde report about the murder that happened while you were fast asleep. And your eyes will widen and for a second you'll forget the coffee mug in your hand. All you'll be able to focus on are the details as the same mantra runs through your head.

_How horrible._

_Who could do such a thing?_

_That poor family._

_What a shame._

Tears cloud her vision and a choked sob breaks through her lips. She hears the distant wailing of police sirens and can even see the flashing of red and blue in the distance.

Before she realizes it she's running up the steps of her apartment building, bursting through the door and nearly crashing into the elevator. She's fishing out her keys, hands trembling as the shaft brings her up to the top floor.

She closes her eyes tightly as the doors open, taking a deep breath before going across the hall and unlocking her door. Her mind is racing as she steps in, throwing all her stuff on the small coffee table in the living room. Before she even realizes it she's running to the front door, closing every lock possible. Only then can she take a deep breath, though the shaking of her hands doesn't subside.

Everywhere she looks she can still see the face of the woman, her wild eyes looking around for help. The Hood's voice rings in her ears as he begs the man to stop and she can hear the desperation in it. Perhaps she misjudged him, let the reporters and news get the better of her. All he wanted to do was help and she feels sorry for him. But no one could have helped that man, he was too far gone. She saw it in his stance, the unsteadiness of his eyes as he frantically took in his surroundings. His body shook and there was something feral about him as he pointed the gun at his former love. There was something off about the man that Felicity was sure no one could have helped.

Something moves out of the corner of her eye and she flies backwards, picking up whatever comes into reach. As she spins around she has her umbrella lifted high above her head, chest heaving as she takes in her intruder.

He's standing by the window, bow drawn but hanging beside him. The moonlight streaming in makes the green of his leather shine and casts shadows across his face. She can see the splattered blood across his chest and for a moment she wonders if it stained his skin as well. But the thought quickly escapes her mind as she lowers the umbrella next to her. She doesn't trust him yet she's not exactly afraid of him, either. Right now she will give just about anything not to be alone.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, her fingers still curled around the umbrella. "Maybe if I hadn't come, she'd still-"

"What happened wasn't your fault."

Felicity lets the umbrella fall back against the wall and wraps her around around her midsection. "It wasn't anyone's fault." That seems to strike a nerve and she watches as he takes a step back.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright. No one should have seen something like that."

She looks to the side and licks her lips. "I'm...I'm fine. It just took me off guard is all."

It seems as though he takes a step closer to her but she blames her eyes for playing tricks on her. For a moment they stare at one another which prompts her question to come tumbling from her lips.

"How'd you get in here?"

This time he seems to back up to the window and she could swear he was wearing a smile.

"You should really lock your windows." He's ready to jump when he adds, "And it's okay not to be fine."

She watches him swing from her building, disappearing quickly into the darkened sky. It only takes her a minute to close the window behind him but for some reason she leaves it unlocked. As she climbs into bed minutes later, she feels safer somehow, not having the slightest clue as to why.

* * *

"Felicity?"

She is running into the building, phone pressed between her shoulder and ear as she shows security her employee ID.

"I'm so sorry, Oliver. I wanted to make it in this morning but...it's just a really long story."

There is a pause on the other end as she hit the elevator button.

"Are you here already?"

"Yeah like I said I'm really-"

"Could you come straight to my office when you get up?"

She nods her head although he can't see her. "Yeah, sure, of course."

He hesitates. "And Felicity?"

"Yes?"

"Stop apologizing."

She smiles and hangs up, already reaching the 18th floor. John is waiting for her at the front desk and gives her a curt nod as she hurries past him. It's well past ten o'clock and she swallows heavily as her eyes land on Oliver.

He's pacing, something she hasn't seen him do in months. His hands are clasped behind his back and his lips are in a hard line. The worry lines on his forehead are evident and it looks like he's been pulling at his tie all morning. She knows without even asking him that he skipped the meeting this morning; she can see it written all over his face.

"Oliver," she breathes, pulling him out of whatever thoughts he's immersed in.

"Felicity-"

"Before you even start, I am sorry, okay? Last night was just...well it was last night and I got absolutely no sleep. And then I woke up late and everything just fell apart. I know I screwed up but you're in trouble because I can just tell you skipped the meeting this morning which isn't good at all. It's important and you need to start realizing you can't skip everything because either I'm not here or you decide to disappear one day. This is your company and just because I'm late or not doesn't mean you stop, Oliver." She takes a deep breath about to say more but he is already walking towards her. There is this look of determination in his eyes that takes her off guard momentarily.

"_Felicity_,"

She huffs out a breath of air, crossing her arms over her chest. "What?"

"Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

Her phone slips out of her hand and falls to the floor, the noise echoing in the large office. She feels her mouth gape open and for a moment she can't believe her ears.

Did Oliver Queen..._Oliver Queen_...just ask her out?

"Excuse me?"

His eyes widen and his cheeks flush furiously. "I'm sorry. That was out of line."

"No, no." Felicity takes a step towards him, her hands flying in the air. "No, it wasn't. I was just...I didn't expect-"

"If you don't want to-"

"It's just...you're Oliver Queen. Oliver Queen the playboy billionaire who can get any woman he wants. And you asked me, Felicity, you're _assistant_, out to dinner. You realize every woman working in this building will come charging up the elevator and throw me out the window, right? I mean they already say things about me but this will just solidify it all. A blonde who wears short skirts can get anything she wants-"

"Your skirts aren't _that _short-"

She closes her eyes for a moment. "Are you being serious? Because if this is some _joke_-"

"Felicity," he's inches from her now, his hands coming up to cup her face. It's the first time he's touched her like that and every nerve on her feels alive. "_Felicity_, look at me."

Slowly she brings her eyes up to meet his own, still very aware of where his hands are.

"I would like to take you out tonight, for dinner. This isn't some joke and I don't have a care in the world about what everyone in this building will think. I just…" he lets out a breathy chuckle, his lips pulling into a sort of smile she's never seen on him before. "I want to take you out, if you'll let me." He lets his hands fall, the smile still on his face as he gives her some space.

"Um," she clears her throat and tries to appear unaffected but it's no use. She can feel the redness of her cheeks as it takes over the entire color of her face. Good thing this isn't the first time she's embarrassed herself in front of him. "Yeah, that'd be fine. I mean...good. It'd be great. A great idea."

Oliver laughs softly and nods his head. "Okay, I'll pick you up at seven."

"Seven," she repeats. "Okay, that sounds great."

A knock at the door brings reality crashing back into their lives.

"Mr. Queen?" Mr. O'Connell stands on the other side of the door, briefcase in hand with an annoyed expression coloring his features. "Our appointment."

Oliver looks past Felicity, quickly composing himself. "Right, of course. I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

"I'll be in the conference room."

Oliver nods. "I'm right behind you." Before leaving he turns back to Felicity, smiling sheepishly. "You can leave early today, Miss Smoak, I know you said you had an important engagement tonight."

Felicity laughs, the nerves slipping from her almost instantly. "Thank you, Mr. Queen."

He nods before rushing after Mr. O'Connell.

God, what has she gotten herself into?

* * *

It's ten to five and she's not nearly as finished as she wanted to be. But with all the restraint she can muster, she presses her lips in a hard line and shuts off her monitors. If she ever wants to be ready on time, she has to leave soon.

John's waiting for her, leaning as the doorframe as he watches her pack up. There's something different about him today and she can't put her finger on what it is. He's not chipper but he's not exactly brooding either.

"I'm almost ready." Felicity tells him, checking her phone briefly before putting it in her bag.

"Take your time." He pauses before adding. "I couldn't help but notice that you're leaving a little earlier than normal though."

She freezes, eyes flickering over to where he's standing. "What do you mean?"

"Well it's not even five o'clock and Oliver called me in to take you home."

"Oh," she smiles, trying to play it off as nothing. "There's just not much to do today and I haven't been feeling well. I asked to leave early and Oliver said he didn't mind."

"Or," John says, smirking down at her, "Oliver finally manned up and asked you out like I've been telling him to."

"Or that."

John laughs, shaking his head. "About damn time, you know."

"Shut up," she mumbles and she finishes gathering all of her things. As she looks up she finds him still standing there, blocking her path. "C'mon or I'm going to be late."

"After you."

* * *

She's deciding what necklace to where when a knock comes at her door. For a moment she freezes, attempting to calm the nerves swimming around in her stomach. She hasn't been able to calm down since she came home, the whole thing becoming too real. A part of her still doesn't believe it's real, that Oliver can actually feel anything close to...well not _platonic_. But the look on his face when he asked her...it makes her think that maybe things could actually be turning around for her.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." She says, more to herself than anyone else.

When she reaches the door she opens it slowly until she sees him.

He's fidgeting with something on his suit jacket, completely unaware that she's watching him. She takes the moment to not-so-subtly check him out. He's wearing nice, dark jeans paired with a white button up and suit jacket. She almost wants to say that it's better than his workwear. It's the causal feeling he's displaying yet there's still the hint of sophistication that doesn't make her feel completely overdressed. She feels...perfect somehow.

"Better than workwear huh?"

Felicity blushes, her eyes flying up to his in astonishment. God she really needs to work on that _filter_.

"I'm almost ready."

Oliver smiles softly, taking in her appearance. "You look beautiful."

"Better than workwear?" She quips.

His eyes darken. "Way better than workwear."

Felicity swallows hard before motioning to her apartment. "Come in and don't mind the mess. I'll really only be two more minutes."

Oliver shrugs and closes the door behind her. "It's okay, I'm early anyway."

"I know. I was kind of expecting you to be late so I took my time."

"I'm never late for the important things." He says, his voice taking an unusually serious tone.

Felicity stops, raising an eyebrow towards him. "Dinner with me is more important than a meeting with your investors? A very _important_ meeting, let me remind you, that you skipped?"

He chuckles, looking around her apartment briefly before setting his gaze back on her. "I did go to that meeting, I just left early."

"And arrived late."

"Technicalities."

He's close enough to her that she can feel his breath brush past her cheek. Her eyes flicker up to his and before she realizes it he is leaning down, his lips lightly touching hers, testing the waters. If only he knew how long she's been waiting to do that.

Just as she's about to return the kiss his phone rings and he's pulling away. He closes his eyes tightly in annoyance and sends her an apologizing look.

"I'm sorry,"

Felicity clears her throat, ignoring the hammering of her heart. "It's okay. Take the call and I'll finish up."

He nods, looking like he's about to say something else but answers the call instead.

Fifteen minutes later they're walking up to a restaurant she's never heard of with his hand placed firmly on her back. By the look of the inside it's definitely Italian and she can almost hear her stomach growl in delight.

"I love Italian," she whispers to him as the host shows them their table.

"I know," he says softly, pulling her chair out for her. "You've only mentioned it a dozen times."

"At least I know you're listening."

He finally sits down across from her and opens the bottle of red on their table. "I always listen, Felicity."

"Is that why you're pouring me red?"

He hums a response, his features softening as he looks back up at her. She's taken aback by the intensity swimming in his eyes and forgets completely about the wine. It's not the first time tonight that she realizes who she's on this date with and a warmth spreads through her. For once it was nice to know that this "crush" wasn't completely unrequited as she thought it was. A part of her is still baffled that a man like him could feel anything for someone like her but she pushes the thought aside. Tonight is supposed to be fun and new and _exciting_. The last thing she wants to do is ruin it.

They begin to talk over the complementary bread they're given after they ordered. Oliver got a chicken dish whose name she can't pronounce and she got the half size serving of lasagna. The conversation is easier than she expected and surprisingly she doesn't ramble as much as she expected. Everything is light and airy, full of promise and hope.

She laughs harder than she ever has before as Oliver goes into a story about a frat party gone wrong. Along the way with stories and food she finds herself losing track of the time. Before she realizes it her plate is finally being cleared and the lights are dimming around them. Their voices die down as the last few giggles escape her mouth. She's breathing heavier than normal and their eyes lock from across the table. In that moment something becomes so clear to her and her heart sputters at the mini epiphany she experiences.

It's a scary thought, in Felicity's opinion, to realize that she never wants to have another dinner if Oliver isn't in it.

She doesn't want to go on dates if he's not at her side.

Or drink coffee with.

Or laugh with.

She doesn't want to do anything if it's not with him.

She blinks her eyes rapidly to see him handing the bill back to their waiter and standing up from the table. He's putting his jacket back on, his eyes still locked with hers as he asks her if she's ready. For once she doesn't answer but nods instead, following his hasty retreat. She feels jittery inside and nearly falls over when his hand finds hers. They fit perfectly together and the warmth he gives her sends chills up her spine.

The night air is cool and refreshing and she can finally take a deep breath.

Leaning over she whispers: "Thank you. I had a great time."

Oliver looks down at her, all the lightness from earlier gone. "I have to tell you something."

She sees the struggle tearing apart his features. He looks almost uncomfortable as he gazes down at her, his thumb coming up to brush her cheek. His mouth opens and closes a few times, as if he's trying to find the right words. So she waits, her stomach twisting in knots at the anticipation of it all. It has to be important if he looks so distraught about it and all she wants to do is soothe him. She's attempted to reach her hands up to his face and caress his cheeks, smooth the worry lines away and bring back the smile she was relishing in earlier.

He opens his mouth but his words get lost in the sudden explosion behind them. His arms find her, shielding her from the eruption though they don't do much good. The heat hits her face, slamming into the right side of her body. She feels herself being thrown back, Oliver's arms struggling to keep her with him. Faintly, she hears her name being shouted. It sounds ragged and desperate, no air supporting the sound. She thinks to herself how broken it sounds but how familiar it all is to her.

Pain consumes Felicity quickly as the world around her fades to black. She feels herself slipping, a dream like state washing over her.

But what a wonderful dream it is.

* * *

_She's typing away furiously on her keyboard, eyes going back up occasionally to read her screen. If she was going to be Oliver Queen's new assistant she had to show him exactly who he was getting for the job. She had nothing to prove to him because she knew she was completely and overly qualified for this job. But he had to know that. He had to know she was more than a pretty face._

_They all did._

_She was too immersed in her work that she didn't hear him come in and nearly flew back in her seat when he spoke._

_"Felicity?" He says, his voice somewhat hesitant. "Felicity Smoak?"_

_She spins around, her pen firmly placed between her red lips. Her eyes widen, realizing exactly who he is and quickly removed it from her mouth._

_"Hi," he greets, "I'm Oliver Queen."_

* * *

**Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it! Let me know what you think and part 2 will be coming soon :)**


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